This invention relates to a linerless label product, method of making, apparatus and method for dispensing the product, and more particularly, to a novel product, method of making, and method and apparatus which automatically dispenses a unitary label and without the need for manual tearing or detaching the same from a source such as a roll.
Linerless labels have been used increasingly because there is no problem of liner disposal. These represent a development stemming from the well known procedure of applying a silicone release coating to one face of a tape and a pressure sensitive adhesive to the other. But until recently this has not been widely used to provide labels, much less to provide a product and method suited for mechanical dispensing, a method therefor and apparatus to practice the method.
A dispensing approach can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,752 which requires a manual tear-off from a roll mounted on a stationary shaft and along a perforation in the label web. A second U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,301 discloses a dispenser for a string of labels in which each label overlaps one-half of a proceeding or following label. These and other prior art expedients have not provided an invention where a roll of preprinted labels are placed into a housing and then, upon demand, a separated label is proffered to an artisan for application to a receiving surface, i.e., a carton, envelope or other means suitable for identification or characterization by a label.
An advantageous feature of the invention is the linerless label product which can be provided in a convolutely wound roll for feeding through a dispenser. The web has one face coated with pressure sensitive adhesive while the other face is coated with a release material such as the widely used silicone preparations. Throughout this disclosure, we use the term "silicone" in a generic sense to refer to the various release materials that have been and can be applied to achieve a roll, for example, of pressure sensitive label material. The roll of label stock thus prepared is interrupted at longitudinally spaced areas to provide transversely extending bands free of pressure sensitive adhesive with the web areas between bands being "labels", i.e., areas carrying informational indicia which may be alpha and/or numeric shapes, graphics, thermally activated or self-contained material such as that described in co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,386. Associated with the bands are signal-stimulating means which are detectable by sensor means during the feeding of the web for activating severing means to transversely sever the web in the band area and thus deliver a completely unitary label at the outlet of the dispenser.
Other objects, advantages, and details of operation and construction of the invention can be seen in the ensuing specification.